This is a wonderful example. The case is well proportioned and retains it’s original grain painted surface. The case appears to be constructed in birch. Birch is an indigenous wood that is found locally. It was often used in furniture making. The base stands on four boldly formed cutout feet. They retain excellent height. The waist is long and narrow and features a rectangular shaped waist door. Note the unusual construction of the door lock. It is skillfully crafted from wood. Jesse Emory is somewhat known to have made his owned door locks. The bonnet is a traditional New England form. It features a wonderfully patterned fret work design that is positioned between three tall chimney plinths. The plinths support turned wooden finials. The bonnet door is an arched form that is fitted with glass. It opens to allow one access to the hands. Two fully turned bonnet columns flank this door. They end in wooden capitals that retain their original gilding. The thick wooden dial is maple. It is skillfully decorated in red and blue, the chapter ring is black, and it is signed by the Maker along with the working location in the arch. The time and strike weight driven movement is constructed in wood having very large and sturdy gearing which is typical of clocks made by this maker. The quality is first rate. This clock is designed to run 30 hours on a full wind and features a count wheel strike. This clock stands 7 feet 5.5 inches tall. It was made circa 1795.

About Jesse Emory of Weare, New Hampshire.

Jesse Emory was born on July 17, 1759 in Weare, New Hampshire. He was the son of Caleb Emory of Amesbury and Susannah (Worthley). Jesse is reported to be the first male born in that town and one of the first New Hampshire born Clockmakers. At the age of twenty, Jesse enlisted in Captain Lovejoy’s company for the defense of Portsmouth.
Jesse married twice. His first marriage was to Hannah Corliss in November of 1783. She bore him one daughter, Ruth. His second marriage was to Betsy Wyman of Hillsborough, New Hampshire in February of 1786. Jesse purchased 27 acres of land from Jeremiah Corliss, his first father-in-law. This land and building was located on Mt. Dearborn Road in Weare near the Henniker town line. He operated a business here until 1806 when he moved to Deering. He sold his land to his daughter.
The Town Histories of Henniker and weare and the deeds recorded for the land transactions made list him as a mechanic, farmer and a yeoman. He is reported to have made spinning and flax wheels, measures, harnesses and clocks. He was a skilled cabinet and clockmaker making the entire clockworks and cases out of wood. The vast majority of clock found are fitted with thirty-hour pull-up movements. (One eight-day key wind example has been identified.) The movements are constructed entirely of maple with a five posted frame. He used heavy plates and heavily constructed wheels. He also incorporated four gravity clicks on each of the winding arbors rather than the typical spring, click and ratchet mechanism. His movements attach to the seatboard with a wooden screw which threads into the middle pillar post of the movement. The dials are skillfully painted on maple and are signed “Jesse Emory / WEARE” or “Jesse Emory / of / WEARE” are known. The decoration and details have been incised to prevent paint bleeding. Emory also constructed his own cases, which were typically made of birch or maple woods. A fair number of these have been found that have been grain painted. A number of his cases incorporate a unique door latch.
Very few clocks have been found by this ingenious Maker. Approximately 12 clocks are recorded. Jesse died on July 10th, 1838. He was 79 years old.